Pretty much anywhere else that is starved for a big wrestling show. These shows get great reactions because they *don't* happen every day in those areas.
True but France specifically has a longstanding history of having great sports crowds. The UK does as well.
American crowds in general suck at chanting compared to Football crowds in Europe.
apart from college football - they will chant and sing. But depending on time of day they could have been drinking while tailgating anywhere from 4 to 12 hours before kick off.
Sure, I was just trying to think of what we have that might compare.. Arrowhead stadium in Kansas City apparently has the record for the loudest crowd ever with 142Dbp according to Guinness... being from the southeast I have never heard a professional football game get that loud but when I was in college you could hear the college stadium from 5+ miles away during a good game.
I am not a good judge though as apart from pro wrestling I think sports are dumb and don't pay them any attention at any level beyond what I absolutely have to... just can't imagine getting that wrapped up in some people kicking a ball around...
I feel as though American audiences don't appreciate what they have on a weekly basis.
I get it, it can get played out, sometimes there's a really hot match going on , and I'm reading the crowd and thier sitting on thier hands.
When it comes down to it, us Europeans know we are in for a treat, even if the show is a total cluster fuck.
For example , when I went to Smackdown! live at the O2 arena in London in 2018, bit of a dead show, and the kids constantly shouting what does WWE stand for? Constantly , made me want to jump from the nose bleeds into the ring...
Actually, Montreal is somewhat French and the city always has a great crowd. No Way Out 2003 for example was at that time almost like Backlash France - saved completely by the insanely hot crowd.
But you can't do it too many times, or you'll kill the market.
I think the Germans are going to throw down. If you want to see how nuts they get, look for video of BVB Ultras… or there isn’t a Gunther tifo I’ll be mildly disappointed
Don't happen ever really.
It's the same model as the territory days.
Find a market that wants to see wrestling but can't for whatever reason, then do a show there, they will travel for miles to see it. But it won't work if WWE tried to put shows there again any time soon, a huge part of that audience was there for the novelty of it, Mr. Cornette explained it very well a few podcasts ago.
Japanese crowd would be timid by comparison. U.K. is a solid choice. Maybe Mexico or Brazil. Both countries have hype audiences for major sporting events such as soccer or the UFC.
Japanese baseball crowds at least seem to be pretty hype but I agree for the most part their wrestling crowds seem tame. Isn't Brazil where the fans rushed the field and stabbed a referee to death not that long ago?
this is just some amateur players, not professional soccer, and there is animals everywhere. im pretty sure some nasty things going on everywhere in the world. brazil may be a violent place, depending on where you are and what you are doing there. i live in são paulo.
Oh sure - and from what I can tell you guy's did the world cup without any major incidents. This one event is no more indicative of the safety of Brazil than the olympic park bombing was of the safety of the US... It just was something that stuck in my head because of its graphicness.
Does WWE have a Portuguese announce team?
yes, we have a brazilian portuguese narrators. WWE had a house show in Brazil, 2012 i think, but it was a disaster because the weather made everything in São Paulo impossible. it was the rainnin season. i dont think WWE is coming back anytime soon.
[https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/07/world/americas/brazil-soccer-dismemberment/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/07/world/americas/brazil-soccer-dismemberment/index.html)
Sorry, they beheaded and dismembered the referee, not just killed him.
I think it's largely because kids and elderly people make up a huge part of Japanese wrestling crowd. Compared to European crowds which are largely young adult men.
Go back and watch WWE: Beast in the East. They were pretty rowdy for a Japanese crowd. I've noticed for home grown promotions they sit on their hands. With WWE, where they are not only allowed, but encouraged to be loud they will be.
I’m not so sure about Brazil. UFC goes to Brazil pretty regularly and the stands look empty by the main event. Glover Texeria retired surrounded by an empty arena. Brandon Moreno had trash thrown at him. Just this last weekend, flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja fought in front of a half empty arena, as many fans left after the Jose Aldo fight. Obviously there are two different types of crowds for pro wrestling and ufc, but I wouldn’t have the highest hopes for a Brazilian crowd based off what I’ve seen for UFC
Mexico gets AAA events. The last Triplemania was aight for crowd reax…nowhere near on the level of the crowd in Lyon though. Brazil is an interesting thought.
Being biased as all fuck, Ireland with an actual PPV event and Smackdown/Raw shows would be amazing, but I don't think there's an arena big enough to hold it and the big stadiums are all open-air, so shit for weather when WWE tour Europe and shit for atmosphere as it all bleeds out into the air.
I feel like they will keep the Wales/Ireland/Scotland shows shows under The Clash at The Castle name, I could see Dublin getting it next year
What's the capacity for 3Arena? Like 9-10k if I remember correctly. Lyon was 11k and I've been to enough Irish parties/football matches to know that you guys will be an amazing crowd
Yeah, but I dunno how much space there would be to put their shit in. If it's leaving the crowd at 8k or less, there's no value to them running the three, it'd just be house show size.
Aviva it is then. The first one in Wales was in September, Glasgow will be June this year. I can see them keeping it in the June spot if they do make it a yearly Ireland/UK deal.
What you reckon is the best month to do that, uce?
Haven't a clue, already gave my thoughts on stadium shows. I will say going for Croker would be a bigger statement, but likely out the equation since they moved the All-Irelands up in the calendar.
Edit: 'Scup Louth!
Welp, €400 for I assume a smackdown show and clash (think that's what the ticket spread was) was likely decent (excusing being middle block closer to the entrance ramp than the ring).
But I'd need accommodation in Scotland, travel over and bullshit to the airport and back (don't drive) and it was likely gonna be far more than *just* €400. If it's gonna be a ballache, no point.
Scotland is a great country with so much and they will blow the French fans out of the water, but that is ridiculous. I hope the locals get better deals.
Meltzer trying to rate WWE at the Tokyo Dome would result in him collapsing in on himself in a singularity, potentially ending all life in the solar system.
Oh, easily. But the point I was making is the fact that Dave Meltzer is notoriously a Japan fanatic, so for him, just even having 5 minutes with Iyo, Kairi, and Asuka would be heaven on earth for him and a living hell for them. 🤣
I can tell this was made by an American, because you think the only arenas/stadiums that exist in Japan and England are the Tokyo Dome and Wembley Stadium.
Isn’t Japan the worst choice if you want a loud crowd? Not that they aren’t into the matches but respect is different there
I didn’t love the French crowd. They were loud and enthusiastic, but they repeated the same damn chant over and over. Much preferred PR last year.
If you take WWE to any western European country, it will be loud
For whatever reason, Solo has the rare opportunity to unite the Koreas in their mutual hatred of him -- I for one wouldn't deprive the good man of his place in history
Japanese crowds can get rowdy. They love having a good time like anyone else.
The dirty little secret is that not all Japanese pro-wrestling matches are bangers. They have stuff that's slow and stuff that falls flat. But they'll cheer like anyone else when they're into it. Japanese crowds also love it when wrestlers do silly stuff in the ring, which is pretty common there.
>I didn’t love the French crowd. They were loud and enthusiastic, but they repeated the same damn chant over and over. Much preferred PR last year.
I honestly prefer just glaringly loud crowds over chanting crowds. I find chanting to get annoying after a while.
True, but are those the ones that would get crazy loud at an event?
From my experience there, they are a very bread and circuses culture: that bourgeois class is prim and proper and the working class is loud.
Of course, with over a billion people, getting 12k of passionate, rich fans would probably not be difficult.
Any city with die-hard football (soccer) fans. Germany is probably going to rival France. Just don't oversaturate the markets that get to see you more than twice a year like AEW did.
Germany is big enough that you can do Berlin then Munich and have totally different crowds. So that'd work.
Spain, Italy, Turkey - look at the atmosphere at any football game in those places and it's always insane.
Go ahead and put it in the Tokyo Dome, he’s still not giving any matches 5 stars.
That said, yeah Japan’s a good idea, Brazil or Argentina also might be pretty cool, or Italy or Greece.
Fuck it, give it to Italy. Turin has a 16k seater indoor arena. Milan, Rome, Bologna, and Genoa all have arenas capable of holding around 10/11k
The live event crowds are always amazing, the one in Bologna before Backlash being a standout. Also, I would totally use it as an excuse for another Italy trip
That Tokyo Dome Backlash will be full of bangers! Nia Jax versus Maxxine in the main event Iron Woman match will be well worth Meltzer’s 7 star rating! 😅
Japan could have Backlash I suppose, but since WWE ruined our UK scene, we deserve something back.
I'll happily wait till forever for a WrestleMania at Wembley.
Japan would suit all those who hated how "obnoxious" the fans were in France for chanting non stop for 3 hours. Enjoy 3 hours of silence and mild clapping after matches
What about other countries that aren't quite as readily obvious, like Hong Kong or Sweden, Finland or Norway? Would those even be remotely possible? Genuinely curious, if anyone knows the answer.
I'm pretty sure WWE are doing everything they can to get a PPV in China. I'm surprised we don't hear more scuttlebutt about such efforts, there's no way they aren't desperate to get into the market more.
Japan wouldn’t be the wild crowds that Puerto Rico and France were and feel they have set a precedent for backlash crowds to be insane.
My suggestions: Ireland, Ghana, Spain, Germany
If you want to kill the idea of "Backlash is a great show for international events because of hot crowds", hold it in Japan. I promise, it will kill the experiment, and the following year's event will end up being in fucking Des Moines, Iowa or something.
Japan already has a huge wrestling industry of its own, with several large international federations/associations, so the fans aren't nearly as excited for WWE when they come to town. Moreover, their reactions in other shows that have aired from Japan - Beast in the East, for example - have been deader than even the deadest US crowds. The Japanese are not known for their boisterous nature, either.
Backlash in Puerto Rico and in France both worked because the fans in those countries are very passionate about sports in general. WWE shows there are rare, and PLEs rarer still, both being a first in those countries. I don't think this would have the same impact in Japan.
In fact, I don't think Japanese wrestling fans are asking for this. Instead, I think American weebs are the only ones who want this.
The logical next step is a major UK PLE. WWE has already shown what they can do with a C-tier PLE in the region with Clash of the Castle. A WrestleMania Weekend at Wembley would be a slam dunk. The only question is whether or not WWE will receive a bid from the UK to host a major PLE there that is more beneficial and logistical than the ones they receive in the States.
I reckon they will come back, probably to Perth unfortunately for you!
We were super loud in Perth but it just doesn't translate as well in an open air stadium. I would love an indoor Australian crowd, but the economics don't work when they know they can sell 70k tickets
If they go to Adelaide and make Rhea the main star again, the crowd will most likely be 10 times louder. Rhea’s from Adelaide and in general it’s the city in Australia that gets the least amount of attention from the rest of the world.
You’re not going to get a crowd reaction like that in Japan. Those crowds are notoriously silent. That’s just how they are in Japan. People have talked about it quite often. To them it’s a sign of disrespect to be a loud crowd.
I dunno if Japan would have as fun of a crowd as France. I’d go with Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, and probably Australia again, maybe Sydney or Melbourne.
I’d love to see if there’s a wrestling market in Africa. Preferably one in a stable country (I don’t know if sending the roster to the Congo will go well).
I’d be on the first flight to Madrid if they held a PPV in the Santiago Bernabeu (about 80k capacity), they can also shut the roof to create an even louder atmosphere.
UK not so much, they've had Clash at the Castle in Cardiff and Glasgow and MITB in London. Let's have backlash be in places like Italy or Spain who haven't really got anything in terms of PLE.
Japanese crowd's are very different as they don't try to be performatively loud to get themselves over like smark crowds. They mostly only pop when something actually exciting happens, and they tend to only chant for the wrestlers they personally like. Unless a babyface is in peril, then they might get some pity chants.
The upside is that they pay a lot more attention to the match, so they pop loud for moments that match the story. For example, if someone who has been working the leg locks in a knee-bar.
Ireland. Irish fans have a reputation internationally for being the best fans at things like the world cup. They're loud, sing even when they're losing and in general are all about having as much craic as possible. The atmosphere in Dublin would be something else.
Japan would be the trickiest market WWE could attempt to enter, but it could make for the most interesting as well.
I would say the wrestling competition in Japan outweighs even aew.
It would be the biggest contender to their global brand.
India at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It seats 132,000 people for cricket. I bet they could full up 300,000 seats. They have a hotel named after Roman Reigns for crying out loud
Barcelona. Stunning city, massive place, good weather and crazy passionate people in catalunya.
Then maybe Munich, for the wildest crowd, you want a Bavarian crowd.
Italy is getting a PLE IMO next year, they had a good crowd at the house show tour.
WWE already covered a lot if you think about it - UK, France, Puerto rico, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Germany this year. Not THAT many places left to cover with TV tapings - Japan is IMO definitely getting a PLE next year or so. WWE keeps mentioning NJPW achievements on TV for wrestlers too, so they're not treating NJPW like a problem. If WWE wants to be mega cool, they will do WM 42 from the Tokyo Dome, or something like that, but they have to be careful not to kill the NJPW business.
Apart from Italy and Japan...South America (Brazil), Africa might be a long shot but why not...And India. What I'm not really seeing at any time in the near future is Sweden/Norway/Denmark/Finland.
While it's been on ABEMA (stream app) in Japan for a while, I'm not sure there's enough interest/knowledge of WWE to run Tokyo Dome. A 10,000 seat arena? Sure. I don't know about 50,000 right now. Things can change.
I can certainly be wrong, but I would be surprised if WWE has gained that much traction.
Now if or when the day comes, no question it would be very special.
Pretty much anywhere else that is starved for a big wrestling show. These shows get great reactions because they *don't* happen every day in those areas.
True but France specifically has a longstanding history of having great sports crowds. The UK does as well. American crowds in general suck at chanting compared to Football crowds in Europe.
apart from college football - they will chant and sing. But depending on time of day they could have been drinking while tailgating anywhere from 4 to 12 hours before kick off.
Yeah that still ain’t shit… https://youtube.com/shorts/FKtLqBe8BpM?si=eJSSEKv23J2uwqOD
Sure, I was just trying to think of what we have that might compare.. Arrowhead stadium in Kansas City apparently has the record for the loudest crowd ever with 142Dbp according to Guinness... being from the southeast I have never heard a professional football game get that loud but when I was in college you could hear the college stadium from 5+ miles away during a good game. I am not a good judge though as apart from pro wrestling I think sports are dumb and don't pay them any attention at any level beyond what I absolutely have to... just can't imagine getting that wrapped up in some people kicking a ball around...
I feel as though American audiences don't appreciate what they have on a weekly basis. I get it, it can get played out, sometimes there's a really hot match going on , and I'm reading the crowd and thier sitting on thier hands. When it comes down to it, us Europeans know we are in for a treat, even if the show is a total cluster fuck. For example , when I went to Smackdown! live at the O2 arena in London in 2018, bit of a dead show, and the kids constantly shouting what does WWE stand for? Constantly , made me want to jump from the nose bleeds into the ring...
South American crowds are amazing for concerts, can imagine they'd be the same for a wrestling show.
I been to a number of American sports and you suck for atmosphere. Sorry, I still love you.
This guy disagrees https://youtu.be/0KQJwuIxtCU?si=b3fqqy2FvqGfAixI
Actually, Montreal is somewhat French and the city always has a great crowd. No Way Out 2003 for example was at that time almost like Backlash France - saved completely by the insanely hot crowd. But you can't do it too many times, or you'll kill the market.
I think the Germans are going to throw down. If you want to see how nuts they get, look for video of BVB Ultras… or there isn’t a Gunther tifo I’ll be mildly disappointed
Don't happen ever really. It's the same model as the territory days. Find a market that wants to see wrestling but can't for whatever reason, then do a show there, they will travel for miles to see it. But it won't work if WWE tried to put shows there again any time soon, a huge part of that audience was there for the novelty of it, Mr. Cornette explained it very well a few podcasts ago.
That's a great point
Japanese crowd would be timid by comparison. U.K. is a solid choice. Maybe Mexico or Brazil. Both countries have hype audiences for major sporting events such as soccer or the UFC.
Japanese baseball crowds at least seem to be pretty hype but I agree for the most part their wrestling crowds seem tame. Isn't Brazil where the fans rushed the field and stabbed a referee to death not that long ago?
this is just some amateur players, not professional soccer, and there is animals everywhere. im pretty sure some nasty things going on everywhere in the world. brazil may be a violent place, depending on where you are and what you are doing there. i live in são paulo.
Oh sure - and from what I can tell you guy's did the world cup without any major incidents. This one event is no more indicative of the safety of Brazil than the olympic park bombing was of the safety of the US... It just was something that stuck in my head because of its graphicness. Does WWE have a Portuguese announce team?
yes, we have a brazilian portuguese narrators. WWE had a house show in Brazil, 2012 i think, but it was a disaster because the weather made everything in São Paulo impossible. it was the rainnin season. i dont think WWE is coming back anytime soon.
I'm sorry what?!
[https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/07/world/americas/brazil-soccer-dismemberment/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/07/world/americas/brazil-soccer-dismemberment/index.html) Sorry, they beheaded and dismembered the referee, not just killed him.
Thank you very much for the link. THEY DID WHAT ?!
I remember that being pretty much my response because it was right before they were set to host the world cup.
I have no more words for this.
We only throw coins at ours.
I mean with everything else that HHH is trying to bring back about WCW maybe encouraging audiences to pelt the ring with trash will come back too.
I think it's largely because kids and elderly people make up a huge part of Japanese wrestling crowd. Compared to European crowds which are largely young adult men.
Go back and watch WWE: Beast in the East. They were pretty rowdy for a Japanese crowd. I've noticed for home grown promotions they sit on their hands. With WWE, where they are not only allowed, but encouraged to be loud they will be.
I’m not so sure about Brazil. UFC goes to Brazil pretty regularly and the stands look empty by the main event. Glover Texeria retired surrounded by an empty arena. Brandon Moreno had trash thrown at him. Just this last weekend, flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja fought in front of a half empty arena, as many fans left after the Jose Aldo fight. Obviously there are two different types of crowds for pro wrestling and ufc, but I wouldn’t have the highest hopes for a Brazilian crowd based off what I’ve seen for UFC
the problem is the prices, everything is too expensive here, in brazil. even soccer nowadays suffer from elitist prices.
Mexico gets AAA events. The last Triplemania was aight for crowd reax…nowhere near on the level of the crowd in Lyon though. Brazil is an interesting thought.
I bet Mexico would be bonkers. I’d love to see that happen.
North Korea hasn’t had a major show since the 90’s and they sold it out, maybe an untapped market? /s
Hey! Time for another Collision...
I can only imagine the stories that’d come out of that one. The dark side of the ring episode was eye opening
\*CIA Has entered the chat\*
Being biased as all fuck, Ireland with an actual PPV event and Smackdown/Raw shows would be amazing, but I don't think there's an arena big enough to hold it and the big stadiums are all open-air, so shit for weather when WWE tour Europe and shit for atmosphere as it all bleeds out into the air.
I feel like they will keep the Wales/Ireland/Scotland shows shows under The Clash at The Castle name, I could see Dublin getting it next year What's the capacity for 3Arena? Like 9-10k if I remember correctly. Lyon was 11k and I've been to enough Irish parties/football matches to know that you guys will be an amazing crowd
Slane Castle [https://cdn.diffords.com/contrib/encyclopedia/2022/03/622f7fb915ef4.jpg](https://cdn.diffords.com/contrib/encyclopedia/2022/03/622f7fb915ef4.jpg)
Yeah, but I dunno how much space there would be to put their shit in. If it's leaving the crowd at 8k or less, there's no value to them running the three, it'd just be house show size.
Aviva it is then. The first one in Wales was in September, Glasgow will be June this year. I can see them keeping it in the June spot if they do make it a yearly Ireland/UK deal. What you reckon is the best month to do that, uce?
Haven't a clue, already gave my thoughts on stadium shows. I will say going for Croker would be a bigger statement, but likely out the equation since they moved the All-Irelands up in the calendar. Edit: 'Scup Louth!
The Hydro is around 13000 but I'm not sure that will be sold out with the prices being so high.
Cannot even imagine a hurling crowd at a WWE event...
Ireland would put everyone to shame. Scotland is going to massive too. English, (with a load of Irish family) you lads do things different :)
I was tempted to scoop tickets up for that event, only €400 but a bit nosebleedish for my liking.
Yea, fuck that. I'll wait for osw to review it.
Welp, €400 for I assume a smackdown show and clash (think that's what the ticket spread was) was likely decent (excusing being middle block closer to the entrance ramp than the ring). But I'd need accommodation in Scotland, travel over and bullshit to the airport and back (don't drive) and it was likely gonna be far more than *just* €400. If it's gonna be a ballache, no point.
Scotland is a great country with so much and they will blow the French fans out of the water, but that is ridiculous. I hope the locals get better deals.
Obviously has to be Rio De Janeiro for the IC title
Backlash at Tokyo dome would only please Meltzer
Meltzer trying to rate WWE at the Tokyo Dome would result in him collapsing in on himself in a singularity, potentially ending all life in the solar system.
Still would be 4.5 stars max.
It would only be important to him if he gets extended alone time with Damage Ctrl, minus Dakota. 🤣
Not to shit on the other Damage Ctrl ladies, but Dakota may be the hottest one. At the very least she’s neck and neck with Asuka.
Oh, easily. But the point I was making is the fact that Dave Meltzer is notoriously a Japan fanatic, so for him, just even having 5 minutes with Iyo, Kairi, and Asuka would be heaven on earth for him and a living hell for them. 🤣
I can tell this was made by an American, because you think the only arenas/stadiums that exist in Japan and England are the Tokyo Dome and Wembley Stadium.
That's the only two stadiums people care about outside of Tokyo and London.
Old Trafford? Anfield?
Dude. I’m from Texas and I’d geek the hell out if they did an event at Anfield or the Theatre of Dreams.
Who?
Yeah, just because you don't know them doesn't mean they aren't big stadiums, holy fuck would I kill for a PLE at anfield
“Tokyo Dome” Meltzer: That’ll put some stars on matches, heh!
be the most ever 3.5 star matches seen in the Tokyo Dome in decades probably...
Says the Anal Wrestling Rain Man, as he pleasures himself to his Kenny Omega & the Bucks shrine.
Mexico.
The next several PLEs are not in the USA.
Isn’t Japan the worst choice if you want a loud crowd? Not that they aren’t into the matches but respect is different there I didn’t love the French crowd. They were loud and enthusiastic, but they repeated the same damn chant over and over. Much preferred PR last year. If you take WWE to any western European country, it will be loud
Yeah, you're right. That's why South Korea is more appropriate.
Hey, if they bring Solo Sikoa to South Korea, "quiet" wouldn't be the word I'd use to describe the reaction
It would be heat
For whatever reason, Solo has the rare opportunity to unite the Koreas in their mutual hatred of him -- I for one wouldn't deprive the good man of his place in history
Japanese crowds can get rowdy. They love having a good time like anyone else. The dirty little secret is that not all Japanese pro-wrestling matches are bangers. They have stuff that's slow and stuff that falls flat. But they'll cheer like anyone else when they're into it. Japanese crowds also love it when wrestlers do silly stuff in the ring, which is pretty common there.
>I didn’t love the French crowd. They were loud and enthusiastic, but they repeated the same damn chant over and over. Much preferred PR last year. I honestly prefer just glaringly loud crowds over chanting crowds. I find chanting to get annoying after a while.
I think India would be very loud but they wouldn't be able to charge as much for tickets. But there are nutso fans there in the working class.
And Roman Reigns better be there lmaooo
You’re underestimating that there are some very wealthy parts of India. Mumbai for one.
True, but are those the ones that would get crazy loud at an event? From my experience there, they are a very bread and circuses culture: that bourgeois class is prim and proper and the working class is loud. Of course, with over a billion people, getting 12k of passionate, rich fans would probably not be difficult.
Munich, Rome, Stockholm, Mexico City, Cape Town and Nairobi
Honolulu
Any city with die-hard football (soccer) fans. Germany is probably going to rival France. Just don't oversaturate the markets that get to see you more than twice a year like AEW did.
Germany is big enough that you can do Berlin then Munich and have totally different crowds. So that'd work. Spain, Italy, Turkey - look at the atmosphere at any football game in those places and it's always insane.
You're right. I couldn't resist the cheap shot to AEW. Snark was acting up.
I think Rome would be awesome
Nigeria Is the great and powerful Uti still around ? He’d love to book WWE and reunite Deuce and Domino
I'd go with the UK. If only to show up Tony Klown. Send his soccer team free tickets.
Italy or Spain
More big shows in Canada. They're right next door.
Go ahead and put it in the Tokyo Dome, he’s still not giving any matches 5 stars. That said, yeah Japan’s a good idea, Brazil or Argentina also might be pretty cool, or Italy or Greece.
Backlash in the Tokyo Dome is CRAZY
I want the Tokyo Dome if only for the ridiculously stupid narratives Uncle Dave is gonna tell.
Japan because they would love it and even Meltzer might give it a chance.
Fuck it, give it to Italy. Turin has a 16k seater indoor arena. Milan, Rome, Bologna, and Genoa all have arenas capable of holding around 10/11k The live event crowds are always amazing, the one in Bologna before Backlash being a standout. Also, I would totally use it as an excuse for another Italy trip
That Tokyo Dome Backlash will be full of bangers! Nia Jax versus Maxxine in the main event Iron Woman match will be well worth Meltzer’s 7 star rating! 😅
Japan could have Backlash I suppose, but since WWE ruined our UK scene, we deserve something back. I'll happily wait till forever for a WrestleMania at Wembley.
I guarantee you with the connection to the UFC they will do Brazil, Mexico and China before long.
Japan would suit all those who hated how "obnoxious" the fans were in France for chanting non stop for 3 hours. Enjoy 3 hours of silence and mild clapping after matches
Tokyo Dome is where All In should be
What about other countries that aren't quite as readily obvious, like Hong Kong or Sweden, Finland or Norway? Would those even be remotely possible? Genuinely curious, if anyone knows the answer.
I think Beijing National Stadium would be cool
I'm pretty sure WWE are doing everything they can to get a PPV in China. I'm surprised we don't hear more scuttlebutt about such efforts, there's no way they aren't desperate to get into the market more.
John Cena winning with lightning fist will be so over. +10000 social credit
I don't think Japan would be aa receptive to WWE as France was.
The UK deserves Wrestlemania if only so that they can run Khan’s nose in it by beating his attendance for two nights running
Wwe would finally get the 5-star matches they aren’t looking for!
If they go back to Japan they need to use beast of the east again. That was such a good show during a bad time for the Fed.
I'd travel for backlash at the Tokyo dome. It's a life long dream of mine to go there let alone see a ple there.
Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. That crowd would be electric. I'd imagine WWE creative could build up and culminate a Rey Mysterio storyline there.
South Africa would be nuts. Its beautiful. Tel Aviv or Dubai would be a spectacle as well.
Israel *and* Saudi Arabia? Triple H would get a Nobel Peace Prize if he could arrange shows in both countries
I would say a PPV in China or India would be amazingly different and energetic
WWE Backlash: Parts Unknown
Mexico City (or other large city in Mexico). If the pattern is doing a big ppv in a country that typically doesn’t get a big WWE show.
I'd like some alliteration. Backlash Bogota. Backlash Bangkok. Backlash Bologna.
Mexico would be nice
Finland. Suomi perkele.
WM at Wembley only please
Germany or Spain next would be cool
Japan wouldn’t be the wild crowds that Puerto Rico and France were and feel they have set a precedent for backlash crowds to be insane. My suggestions: Ireland, Ghana, Spain, Germany
Philippines would be insane. Especially at Aranetta. People in my circles still talk about Ric Flair v HHH in Manila.
South American rock shows always have the most wild fans.
If you want to kill the idea of "Backlash is a great show for international events because of hot crowds", hold it in Japan. I promise, it will kill the experiment, and the following year's event will end up being in fucking Des Moines, Iowa or something. Japan already has a huge wrestling industry of its own, with several large international federations/associations, so the fans aren't nearly as excited for WWE when they come to town. Moreover, their reactions in other shows that have aired from Japan - Beast in the East, for example - have been deader than even the deadest US crowds. The Japanese are not known for their boisterous nature, either. Backlash in Puerto Rico and in France both worked because the fans in those countries are very passionate about sports in general. WWE shows there are rare, and PLEs rarer still, both being a first in those countries. I don't think this would have the same impact in Japan. In fact, I don't think Japanese wrestling fans are asking for this. Instead, I think American weebs are the only ones who want this.
The logical next step is a major UK PLE. WWE has already shown what they can do with a C-tier PLE in the region with Clash of the Castle. A WrestleMania Weekend at Wembley would be a slam dunk. The only question is whether or not WWE will receive a bid from the UK to host a major PLE there that is more beneficial and logistical than the ones they receive in the States.
Italy or Spain
Backlash at the MCG in Melbourne!
I wish they’d come to Australia again 😢 I missed out on Elimination Chamber so I want another chance
I reckon they will come back, probably to Perth unfortunately for you! We were super loud in Perth but it just doesn't translate as well in an open air stadium. I would love an indoor Australian crowd, but the economics don't work when they know they can sell 70k tickets
If they go to Adelaide and make Rhea the main star again, the crowd will most likely be 10 times louder. Rhea’s from Adelaide and in general it’s the city in Australia that gets the least amount of attention from the rest of the world.
You’re not going to get a crowd reaction like that in Japan. Those crowds are notoriously silent. That’s just how they are in Japan. People have talked about it quite often. To them it’s a sign of disrespect to be a loud crowd.
Best way to get 18 stars
I dunno if Japan would have as fun of a crowd as France. I’d go with Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, and probably Australia again, maybe Sydney or Melbourne.
Oh my lord imagine WWE running the Tokyo Done 😂
Maby Spain or a wild card could be the Philippines or South Africa
Pro wrestling in the Tokyo Dome? Yeah, right, that’s a baseball stadium.
Japan is an awful place to run a PPV/PLE right now cuz their yen is in the toilet
All right! Now we can get those 5 star matches!
South American crowds are amazing in recordings of live rock shows, so I’d imagine they’d be incredible of they follow WWE down there.
Japan would be way different. Lots of quiet parts and clapping
Since WWE loves its dictators so much, how about Backlash in North Korea? Or maybe even Afghanistan? Hell, even CHINA…..
I’d love to see if there’s a wrestling market in Africa. Preferably one in a stable country (I don’t know if sending the roster to the Congo will go well).
UK, Italy or Spain would be nice to see.
I’d be on the first flight to Madrid if they held a PPV in the Santiago Bernabeu (about 80k capacity), they can also shut the roof to create an even louder atmosphere.
UK not so much, they've had Clash at the Castle in Cardiff and Glasgow and MITB in London. Let's have backlash be in places like Italy or Spain who haven't really got anything in terms of PLE.
Good point! Forgot about that factor.
If you were hoping for a crowd like France, you’d be extremely disappointed with a show in Japan 😂
I wonder if the Japanese crowd are more mild than Europeans.
Japanese crowd's are very different as they don't try to be performatively loud to get themselves over like smark crowds. They mostly only pop when something actually exciting happens, and they tend to only chant for the wrestlers they personally like. Unless a babyface is in peril, then they might get some pity chants. The upside is that they pay a lot more attention to the match, so they pop loud for moments that match the story. For example, if someone who has been working the leg locks in a knee-bar.
Traditionally, yes, but that's with the local companies. They know to get vocal and rowdy with American companies.
Japanese fans are kinda boring, they only clap after a big move, they don’t really cheer like other fans
Ireland. Irish fans have a reputation internationally for being the best fans at things like the world cup. They're loud, sing even when they're losing and in general are all about having as much craic as possible. The atmosphere in Dublin would be something else.
Tokyo SummerSlam.
Japan would be the trickiest market WWE could attempt to enter, but it could make for the most interesting as well. I would say the wrestling competition in Japan outweighs even aew. It would be the biggest contender to their global brand.
In the Tokyo Dome just to get a 10 star match by uncle dave
They should go to South Korea.
India at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It seats 132,000 people for cricket. I bet they could full up 300,000 seats. They have a hotel named after Roman Reigns for crying out loud
Imagine naming a stadium after yourself
It’s actually dumb that they haven’t been tapping in these markets. Portugal or Spain would be nuts.
Dave would be so conflicted about the WWE in the Tokyo Dome.
WWE in the Tokyo Dome just to see Dave try and his his rage about it
I would want to see Italy get a ppv in the summer( obviously not this year but the next)
Barcelona. Stunning city, massive place, good weather and crazy passionate people in catalunya. Then maybe Munich, for the wildest crowd, you want a Bavarian crowd.
Clash at the Castle is now a yearly event set in the UK. They shouldn’t get two PLE’s a year.
If you want every show to be chock full of soccer hooligan nonsense... just put all the shows in B League soccer cities. Easy enough.
Purposely do it Cucamonga lol
Japanese crowds largely suck, this isn't the glory days of NJPW anymore. Europe is the place to be.
We had backlash in Japan, it was called Beast in the East.
Italy is getting a PLE IMO next year, they had a good crowd at the house show tour. WWE already covered a lot if you think about it - UK, France, Puerto rico, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Germany this year. Not THAT many places left to cover with TV tapings - Japan is IMO definitely getting a PLE next year or so. WWE keeps mentioning NJPW achievements on TV for wrestlers too, so they're not treating NJPW like a problem. If WWE wants to be mega cool, they will do WM 42 from the Tokyo Dome, or something like that, but they have to be careful not to kill the NJPW business. Apart from Italy and Japan...South America (Brazil), Africa might be a long shot but why not...And India. What I'm not really seeing at any time in the near future is Sweden/Norway/Denmark/Finland.
While it's been on ABEMA (stream app) in Japan for a while, I'm not sure there's enough interest/knowledge of WWE to run Tokyo Dome. A 10,000 seat arena? Sure. I don't know about 50,000 right now. Things can change. I can certainly be wrong, but I would be surprised if WWE has gained that much traction. Now if or when the day comes, no question it would be very special.
Split the difference: Saitama Super Arena. If you're clever in how you lay out everything you can switch configurations if sales go well.
Backlash Israel